Coin collector



' Oct. 16 ,-1923.

J. P. JULEY- I COIN COLLECTOR Filed Dec. 29, 1919 r 0 Wm W W P fi Z Patented ct. 16, 1923.

um so STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH P. JULEY, F LYNDHURST, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO WESTERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, INCORPORATE), OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

COIN COLLECTOR.

Application filed December 29, 1919. Serial No. 347,916.

New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Coin Collectors, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates in general to coin collecting apparatus for use in telephone ay stations and more particularly to a coin co lector of the type in which a plurality of coins are deposited in a hopper where they are held in suspense temporarily and then are either allowed to pass into the coin chute and be deposited or are deflected to the return chute where they are returned to the subscriber.

In coin-collectors of this type, it has been the practice to provide a polarized electromagnet to do the work not only of selecting the direction in which the coins are to be deflected but also to perform the Work of dumping .the coins. Such a coin collector must meet very severe requirements since it must operate accurately irrespective of whether it is mounted on a line of low resistance or a long line of high resistance and must perform the desired functions irso respective of earth potentials which in some districts are of considerable magnitude and are reversed durin different periods of the day. It has there ore been considered necessary to provide a rather expensive mecha- 35 nism in order to insure the satisfactory handling of the coins.

It is the object of the present invention to provide a mechanism for use in multi-coin collectors which will be simple in construction and therefore cheap of manufacture, and one which will be accurate and positive in accomplishing its desired functions.

To attain this object and in accordance with a feature of this invention, there is rovided a polarized electromagnet for seliactivity and a separate electromagnet not polarized, for performing the necessary work of dumping the coins. This and other features of the invention will be more clear- 89 ly understood from the accompanying drawnections to illustrate the manner in which it erforms its functions. I

eferring now to the drawing, a coin chute 5 is adapted to receive the coins and direct them into the hopper 6, in which they are arrested and then later directed either into the collect chute 7 or into the return chute 8. depending upon whether or not the desired telephone connection is obtained. The lower end of the hopper 6 is guarded by a pivotally mounted trap door 9 which serves as a closure therefor. Extending into the hopper through a slot 10 intermediate of the chute 5 and the trap door 9 is the projecting arm 11 of a coin trigger 12. This trigger is pivotally mounted and its mass is so distributed as to permit it to normally rest in the position shown in the drawing. Upon a projecting portion 13 of this trigger there normally rests one arm of a bell crank 14, the other arm of which is provided with an insulating stud 15 against which is tensioned a contact spring 16. The upper arm of the bell crank 14 is held against the portion 13 by means of a spring 17, the other end of which is secured to a portion of the housing. This arm also is provided with a pivotally mounted restoring arm 18 which is guided in its movement by means of a guide pin 19. An electromagnet 20 which 1s of the non-polarized type is provided with an armature 21 which is normally held away from the core 22 by means of a spring member 23. This armature is provided with a ri ht-angled extension 24 having a recess portion 25 which is adapted to act as a latch for an arm 26 extending from the trap door 9. This trap door is also provided with a counterweight 27 to insure its returning to the, normal position after releasing coins. A short distance below the trap door 9 the hopper 6 is so formed as to provide a coin return chute 8 and a coin collect chute 7, the former of which leads to the outside of the mechanism and the latter to a coin collecting box 28. At the junction of these two chutes, there is provided a pivotally mounted vane or deflector 29 having an arm provided with a roller 30 extending through a slot 317to the outside of the chute. This roller is en aged by the forked end of an arm 32 rigi 1y mounted on the armature 33 of the polarized electromagnet 34:. The

windings of the electromagnets 34 and 20 and the contact members 16 and 35 are connected in series across the line wires L and L and in multi le with the telephone apparatus used at t e substation. At the central ofiice, keys 36 and 37 are provided by means of which it is possible to send current of either polarity over the line and through the windings of the electromagnets.

As a coin is dropped into the chute 5 it passes into the hopper 6 and trips the arm 11 of the trigger 12, thereby rotating the rtion 13 and permitting the'arm 14 to be rawn down by means of the spring 17 and in so doing to close the contacts 35 and 16. The coin passes on down the hopper until it reaches the trap door 9 where it rests and lays until it is either collected or refunded by the operator. In case the desired connection is obtained, the operator presses the key 36, thereby connecting the positive le of the grounded source of energy 38 to ine wire L and connecting line wire L to ground. Current then flows from the rounded source of energy 38 to line wire winding of electromagnet 34, winding of electromagnet 20, and contact springs 16 and 35 and thence to ground or return over line wire L The electromagnets 20 and 34 are energized thereby, but electromagnet 34 being quick-acting operates first to cause its armature to rotate in a counterclockwise direotion and thereby rotate the vane or defieotor 29 in a similar direction.

Electromagnet 20 attracts its armature 21 and in its movement removes the latch 25 from the arm 26, thereby leaving the trap door 9 free to dro and release any coins resting thereon. hese coins, on falling, will strike the vane 29 and be deflected thereby into the chute 7 and thence into the coin box 28. The movement of armature 21, in addition to permitting the operation of the trap door 9,

also functions to restore the bell crank arm' 14 by means of the armature bearing. against the restoring arm 18 and raising it, thereby allowing the trigger 12 to return to its normal position, in which the portion 13 rests under the arm 14. As soon as the current is removed, the arm 14 is returned to its nor- .Wire L, and grounding line wire L rent of the opposite polarity therefore flows mal posltion by means of the spring 17. Trap door 9 immediately upon the coins being dumped therefrom, returns to its normal position due to the counterweight 27 and upon the armature 21 being returned to its normal position by means of the spring 3, is again held in place by means of the latch 25. In case it is desired to return the coins to the subscriber, the operator presses key 37 thereby connectingthe positive pole of the grounded source of'energy 4Q toine through the electromagnets, causing elect-romagnet 34 to rotate its armature in a clockwise direction, thereby moving the vane 29 to the right so that the coins when freed atoya? from the trap door 9 will be deflected into the return chute 8. The operation of the device otherwise will be the same as just described incollecting the coins.

What is claimed is:

1. A coin collector comprising a coin hopper, means therein for temporarily arresting coins, means consisting of a slow-acting relay for operating said arresting means to release coins deposited thereon, a pair of chutes extending from the hopper, and means consisting of a quick-acting polarized relay in series connection with said slowacting relay independent of and operating prior to said operating means for deflecting coins into one chute or the other.

2. A coin collector comprising a coin hopper having a pair of chutes extending from the lower portion thereof, a trap door in the hopper for temporarily arresting coins, means for releasing such coins from the trap door consisting of a slow-acting relay, means independent of and o erable prior to said releasing means for d dflecting the released coins into, one chute or the other, said deflecting means consisting of a quick-actin polarized relay in series connection with sai slow-acting relay, both of which rela s are energized and operated by the same e ectric impulse.

3. A coin collector comprisin a hopper having a pair of chutes exten ing therefrom, a trap door in the hopper for temporarily arresting the coins, a trigger extending in the hopper above the trap door and adapted to be tripped by a falling coin, an electroma net adapted to simultaneously release a com from the trap door and restore the trigger to normal position, a deflector for deflecting coins in one chute or the other, and a polarized electromagnet controlling the operation of said deflector.

4. A'coin collector comprising a hopper having a pair of chutes extending therefrom, a trap door in the hopper for temporarily arresting coins, a late for said trap door, an electromagnet controlling the operation of the latch, a deflector for deflectin coins released from the trap door into eit er one chute or the other, and a polarized electromagnet controlling the operation of the deflector, said electromagnets having their windings connected in series.

5. A coin collector comprising a hopper having a .pair of chutes extending therefrom, a trap door in the hopper for temporarily arresting coins, a latch for said trap door, a slow-acting electromagnet controlling the operation of the latch, a deflector for deflecting coins released from the trap door into either one chute or the other, and a com 6. The combination with a metallic circuit telephone line, extending from a" central oflice-to a substation, of a coin collector at the substation comprising a coin hopper, a pair of coin chutes, a trap door in said hopper for catching and temporarily holding,

coins deposited therein, a pivotedly mounted coin deflector midway between the two coin chutes, a slow-acting relay for operating said trap door to release coins deposited thereon, a quick-acting polarized relay for operating said deflector to deflect the coins mto one chute or the other, means within the hopper operated by the deposited coin for closing an electric circuit connecting said slow-actin re a in series, means located at the central station and under control of the operator to reversibly connect a source of potential to either side. of the circuit and toground the other side of said circuit simultaneously.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 24th day of December, A. D. 1919.

JOSEPH P. JULEY."

relay and said quick-acting polarized 

